Hard sciences online or take a semester off?

[thenumbersdontlieb]

All the classes offered at my university are now online due to COVID. I'm not comfortable with the idea of taking hard sciences online because I honestly learn better in an in-class environment. I don't want to jeopardize my GPA but I also don't want to raise any eyebrows when applying to medical school (due to taking a semester off). Do you guys think I should suck it up and attempt the courses online or should I wait till next semester to take them in class (assuming classrooms open back up)?

Background info: I've just received my associates from community college and this upcoming semester would be my first at a four-year institution. I work full time as an ER tech, so I would just pick up more hours if I took the semester off. Right now, there aren't any research opportunities at my institution due to COVID. I'd appreciate any recommendations on other activities I could do for my application if I take this semester off. Thank you guys!

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[PigsHaveWings]

which classes have u done so far and what is your GPA ? when are you taking the MCAT ?

 

[thenumbersdontlieb]

which classes have u done so far and what is your GPA ? when are you taking the MCAT ?

I've taken all my core classes (college algebra, Engl I/II, history, electives, etc.) along with Bio I and Gen Chem I. I just received my associates from a community college in May and my GPA is a 3.9. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be taking the MCAT. Thanks for the reply btw!

 

[MyOdyssey]

I've taken all my core classes (college algebra, Engl I/II, history, electives, etc.) along with Bio I and Gen Chem I. I just received my associates from a community college in May and my GPA is a 3.9. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be taking the MCAT. Thanks for the reply btw!

Are the online classes going to be graded in a mandatory P/F fashion?

 

[thenumbersdontlieb]

Are the online classes going to be graded in a mandatory P/F fashion?

Nope. Pass/fail grading is optional.

 

[PigsHaveWings]

you will need few more core courses for the medical school---bio 2, chem 2, org chem 1, org chem 2, calculus/ statisitics (they sometimes dont accept college algebra as an alternative, some of them do) for some.

For the mcat you will get some help doing content review with 1 semester of psychology and maybe even 1 semester of sociology.

If you are in a public school some of these classes will be large (more than 200 students in pyschology 101 in our school) and not sure if it makes much difference in those huge classes if it is online or live. most of the smaller classes, would probably be beneficial live in person.

so factor all of these in your grand scheme and then decide.

 

[thenumbersdontlieb]

you will need few more core courses for the medical school---bio 2, chem 2, org chem 1, org chem 2, calculus/ statisitics (they sometimes dont accept college algebra as an alternative, some of them do) for some.

For the mcat you will get some help doing content review with 1 semester of psychology and maybe even 1 semester of sociology.

If you are in a public school some of these classes will be large (more than 200 students in pyschology 101 in our school) and not sure if it makes much difference in those huge classes if it is online or live. most of the smaller classes, would probably be beneficial live in person.

so factor all of these in your grand scheme and then decide.

you will need few more core courses for the medical school---bio 2, chem 2, org chem 1, org chem 2, calculus/ statisitics (they sometimes dont accept college algebra as an alternative, some of them do) for some.

For the mcat you will get some help doing content review with 1 semester of psychology and maybe even 1 semester of sociology.

If you are in a public school some of these classes will be large (more than 200 students in pyschology 101 in our school) and not sure if it makes much difference in those huge classes if it is online or live. most of the smaller classes, would probably be beneficial live in person.

so factor all of these in your grand scheme and then decide.

Sorry, I didn't specify. I've taken all of my core lower level courses. So ENG I/II, HIS I/II, dev psych, intro to psych, ARTS, humanities, Math 1301, and all my lower level electives etc. I'm pretty much just taking science and math courses at this point. Scheduling my courses in a way that helps me review for the MCAT is a great point though. Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it.

 

[deleted1017883]

Just take the classes now you will be fine, It's time to buckle down and work hard. After 2 years at community college your GPA at the 4-year will be important to show you can handle the rigors of medical school.

 

[RTC19]

I would go ahead and take them now. My school is assuming our state won't be fully in-person in the spring either. So, something to keep in mind is that your school may still be online in the spring and then you'd be in the same position again. But, if your instincts are really telling you this isn't going to work for you, take the semester off.

Some other, possibly unsolicited advice from an older lady:
Because this is your first semester at a university, I would suggest taking a lower credit load (~12-14 hours) and at most 2 science classes to give you time to get used to the transition.

The trick to online classes is discipline, discipline, discipline. You may already do this but I thought I would post anyway just in case this is helpful to you or anyone else who may be reading...When you get your syllabi the first day, print a weekly calendar (available for free - Google "free printable weekly calendar") and make yourself a weekly schedule with slots for when you will complete all of your regularly occurring work for your classes and when you'll watch the lectures if your classes are asynchronous. An SDNer recommend the Long Beach City College study skills YouTube videos (there are 14 of them) and that has been a huge help to me at university because even though the videos were made at a city college, they take into account the decreased structure of a university as compared to a CC.

I empathize with your nervousness. It's hard to go from a CC to a university and it's tough to have COVID changes piled on top of it, but I am confident you will be okay. I can tell you are taking this seriously and that tells me you should be fine. It's when students aren't taking the shift between CC and university seriously that I get nervous.

Source: I went to CC before university.